A fluid dispensing system includes a pump, a valve, and a dispenser disposed downstream of the valve and connected to the valve with a hose. To provide a steady flow rate at the dispenser, the pump charges the fluid to or above the pressure required to achieve a desired flow rate. The valve cycles between open and closed at a fixed frequency. The valve-open time is varied within that frequency to maintain the desired flow rate.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method of dispensing a fluid, the method comprising: charging a fluid to a pressure with a prime mover having a motor and a pump, wherein a controller directs the prime mover to charge the fluid to the pressure; cycling a downstream valve open and closed at a fixed frequency, wherein the valve is configured to cycle between fully opened and fully closed according to a variable duty-cycle; sensing a valve-open time; varying the valve-open time, by a controller, to maintain a desired flow rate at a downstream dispenser; and altering the pressure generated by the prime mover, by the controller, based on the sensed valve-open time, such that the pressure is increased as the valve-open time approaches 100 percent of the frequency, and the pressure is decreased as the valve-open time approaches zero percent of the frequency.
2. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising: sensing an in-stream data at a flow meter located downstream of the valve; and communicating the in-stream data to the controller.
3. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising: mixing the fluid with a material downstream of the dispenser to create a plural-component material.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the fluid is a catalyst in a plural component dispensing system.
5. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising: varying the frequency at which the valve cycles.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a ball and a seat.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the valve is selected from a group consisting of a pneumatically-actuated valve, a hydraulically-actuated valve, and an electrically-actuated valve.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is a polysulfide material.
9. A fluid dispensing system comprising: a prime mover for driving a fluid downstream, the prime mover comprising: a motor; and a pump; a valve configured to cycle between fully open and fully closed according to a variable duty-cycle, the valve disposed downstream of the prime mover; a dispenser disposed downstream of and fluidly connected to the valve; a controller communicating with the prime mover and the valve; and wherein the controller is configured to direct the prime mover to charge the fluid to a pressure, and to control the duty-cycle of the valve to provide a desired flow rate of the fluid at the dispenser; and wherein the controller is configured to control the prime mover to increase the pressure generated by the prime mover based on a valve-open time approaching 100 percent of the duty-cycle of the valve, and the controller is configured to control the prime mover to decrease the pressure generated by the prime mover based on the valve-open time approaching zero percent of the duty-cycle of the valve.
10. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the valve comprises a ball and a seat.
11. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , and further comprising: a hose disposed between and fluidly connecting the dispenser and the valve.
12. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , and further comprising: a flow meter disposed between the valve and the dispenser and in communication with the controller; and wherein the flow meter senses an in-stream data and communicates the in-stream data to the controller.
13. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the valve is a pneumatically actuated valve.
14. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , further comprising: a regulator attached to the prime mover and communicating with the controller, the regulator controlling a pressure generated by the prime mover.
15. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the valve is selected from a group consisting of an electrically-actuated valve and a hydraulically-actuated valve.
16. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the valve cycles at a fixed frequency.
17. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the valve cycles at a variable frequency.
18. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , and further comprising: a restrictive hose disposed between and connecting the prime mover and the valve.
19. The fluid dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein a fluid being dispensed is a polysulfide material.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
March 19, 2015
April 2, 2019
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